This invention relates to a gas burner of the type used extensively in gas grills, and in other commercial applications, and more particularly to a burner of this type having a plurality of ports to project flames directed out to either side of the burner.
The burner comprises an elongated tube closed at one end, gas being expelled from the tube to produce flames which burn at outlet ports along the length of the body. The prior art burners include a plurality of ports located on a top surface of the feed tube which look like slits cut into the tube. These ports were prone to clogging due to grease/fat drippings from the grill. One way to prevent clogging was to shield the burner from the drippings, but this increases the cost of the grill. Additionally, the heat distribution is relatively poor since the flame, and therefore the heat, went straight up.
It was thereafter contemplated that the slits should be made in the sides of the burner. This improved the heat distribution in the grill, but tended to cause the burner to overheat. Additionally, the ports were still exposed to drippings. Furthermore, when each side of the tube was ported, additional shielding and manufacturing concerns and steps were created.
Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a gas burner having a plurality of ports in the burner body which direct flames at least partially out of the sides of the burner while at least partially protecting the ports from drippings clogging the ports.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas burner which provides a reduced flame height.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gas burner which may be manufactured by creating pairs of port openings from each stroke of a punch.
It is a still further object of the present invention to a gas burner with improved heat distribution as a result of spreading the flame about the grill.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a gas burner with cooler surface temperatures.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a burner having an elongated tubular body closed at one end and having a plurality of ports located along an upper portion of the tube, but not at the top. The openings within each of the ports are configured so that drippings, such as from grease, etc., do not normally enter the tube. Flames are directed sideways relative to the burner from the ports. When constructing the burner, a single stroke of a punch may create two ports, one on each side of a central vertical axis extending through the upper portion of the tube.
When the ports are punched into the tube, two openings are formed. The opening has a top edge and a bottom edge. The top edge remains at a height at substantially the level of the curvature of the tube while the lower edge is displaced somewhat lower than prior to punching. The moving of the lower edge pushes it so that if an axis is drawn vertically, or tangently, relative to the upper edge, the moved lower edge extends beyond the axis. Accordingly, if grease or other drippings were to drip off of the top edge, the drippings would land on the ledge formed by the punch before the bottom edge. The ledge is preferably angled so that droppings would flow with gravity about the circumference of the tube and off the bottom of the tube without entering the interior of the tube.